Blueberry and Cinnamon Porridge

The weather in Devon has been pretty miserable of late, and I was craving something a bit more substantial and comforting than my usual smoothie in the morning. I went out and got some organic gluten free oats and the next day made a wonderful bowl of the best porridge I have ever tasted. I added all my toppings BEFORE I started cooking. I recently started doing this after making buckwheat porridge. This ensures that the flavours really melt into the oats as it cooks and you are rewarded with a very tasty bowl of warming breakfast. I love to add cinnamon and blueberries as these two flavours are perfect together. The recipe below calls for a banana too but I have done it with half a shredded apple or some freshly grated lemon zest instead of the cinnamon which is also very yummy. Sprinkle whatever nuts, seeds or other berries you have to hand to serve. This is made with almond milk which I love, but you can easily substitute with any other milk or just water. I sometimes stir in a teaspoon of almond butter for a little extra boost. Sweeten with honey if you need to but the blueberries burst as you cook and stir so they tend to add enough sweetness for me. 

You will need (for 1):

1/2 cup oats (I used gluten free)

1 cup almond milk (or any other milk/water)

1 level tsp cinnamon

large handful of blueberries

1 small banana, chopped into small-ish chunks

extra nuts, seeds, berries for the topping

Into a saucepan add your oats, milk, cinnamon, berries and banana. Stir and transfer to a moderate heat and stir occasionally for about 10-15 minutes until the porridge is at the right consistency. You may need to add a little extra liquid as you go, depending on how you like your oats!

Spoon into your favourite bowl and stir through any nuts or seeds etc. The blueberries will start to burst and their delicious juice will run streaks of deep purple through the oats. 

Chia Breakfast Pudding

My first experience of a chia pudding was not one I care to remember. It was bland, chewy and frankly I felt cheated out of a proper meal. I really did think that everyone was going mad, for this was not 'awesome' or 'insane'. It was bllurghhhh. Since then, however, I have persevered and tried various different additions which I have come to adore. This recipe was originally from Deliciously Ella with a few additions and tweaks along the way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It really is mouthgasmic. This makes one large portion or two smaller ones. You can use honey or pure maple syrup in place of the date syrup if you prefer. 

You will need:

1 large jar

At least 6 hours!

5 tbsp chia seeds

half a banana 

1 tbsp almond butter

300 ml almond milk

1-2 tsp date syrup

2 handfuls of blueberries

1 handful raspberries

flaked almonds

cocoa nibs

The night before, place your banana, 1 handful of blueberries, almond butter, almond milk and date syrup into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into the jar and stir in your chia seeds. I usually let it settle for an hour or 2 then give it a quick stir before going to bed. 

In the morning layer up your pudding - give it a stir first - with the blueberries and raspberries, making ure you have a few raspberries for the top. Sprinkle on your flaked almonds and cocoa nibs. Pumpkin seeds also work well or a little dessicated coconut. Et voilà! A delicious breakfast bursting full of goodness and flavours. 

Coconut and berry breakfast pot

I slept really badly last night. Woke up in the small hours thinking about what I could be doing instead of wasting time sleeping. I curled up and forced my eyes shut for about half an hour. Then I made a terrible mistake. I looked at my phone. Cue the next hour fiddling around and not really doing much apart from feeding my social media addiction. When I eventually got back to sleep, I woke up feeling groggy and not at all rested. I craved something fresh to try and wipe away the taste of my dalliance with a night-time spent flicking through my Pinterest board, and hoping someone would like a picture from my Instagram. Sad but true and in the end I really did waste time.

My little breakfast pots are quick and easy to make and I find them very restorative after a bad night's sleep. You could use normal yoghurt if you'd rather but the coconut flavour and creaminess of coyo is heavenly. I sometimes sweeten mine with a little date syrup (see earlier post) or add cocoa nibs with the pumpkin seeds. Whatever you do I promise you won't be disappointed and on the plus side this is a hit with children too!

          

Serves 1 hungry, groggy soul

You will need: 

small jam jar or bowl

handful of raspberries

handful of blueberries

1 tsp almond butter

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

1 small pot of coyo

1/4 tsp raw cacao powder

                                                       

Mix the cacao in with the coyo and stir until all combined. Make sure you incorporate all the powder as it will not be a nice surprise if you find a dry bit of cacao when you eat it. Carefully layer the yoghurt and then fruit. Top with your almond butter, seeds and one more raspberry. Not only is this very quick but it is so pretty too! You'll have a smile on your face for that reason alone.